A Friend
by Rose Joker
Summary: Sorry, I don't know what to type. I'm not too good at summaries, so please just r&r. Thanks!
1. Chapter 1

A Friend  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, yadda, yadda. (As if I could come up with something that great)  
  
Kenshin yawned as he woke up. He had been plagued by bad dreams like always. 'I've got to get to sleep earlier.' The young hitokiri mused. He got up and got dressed. Once he was done, he went down to the dining room. All activity and talk ceased as soon as he entered. Inwardly, he sighed. Ever since he had gotten his first job, nobody except his employers talked to him unless they had to. Slowly, the conversations continued, though not as loud as before.  
'They still have to get used to me and to what I am; a fourteen-year old hitokiri who has the title the Hitokiri Battousai. Even though they don't know about the fourteen-year old part.' He thought. 'Sometimes I wish I had never been saved.' He allowed himself to think briefly of his mother and father. Then of the three women who had sacrificed their lives for him. If he had known it, his golden eyes had flickered to his natural lavender, and then turned golden once more. One of the younger soldiers, though still older than Kenshin, turned to his friend, who had also seen the change, and asked if he had seen what he thought he saw. His friend nodded mutely.  
"Sir?" asked the young soldier, coming over to Kenshin.  
"Yes?" replied Kenshin.  
"May I ask you a question?"  
"Perhaps. What is your name?"  
"Yamagata."  
"Alright Yamagata, go ahead."  
"What's your real name?"  
Kenshin almost choked on his newly arrived tea.  
"Wh-What?"  
"What is your real name? I mean, Hitokiri Battousai can't be your real name."  
"Why do you want to know?"  
"Well I thought we could be friends."  
Kenshin barked out a laugh.  
"Do you know how many 'friends' I've had?"  
"No."  
"One."  
"When was that?"  
"When I was still innocent. At the age of seven."  
"But, that's a long time. How old are you really?"  
"You are really nosey and annoying, you know that?" By this time, the entire room was listening to their conversation.  
"Yes, but I'm curious. I'm nineteen." Yamagata said unworried.  
"Fine, fourteen." At that, everyone gasped. "That doesn't mean I'm not just as strong as I was before you knew my age." He said, annoyed.  
"Now, now, Battousai-san, don't get so uptight." Almost everyone saw Kenshin cringe when Yamagata said Battousai-san.  
"Himura."  
"What was that?"  
"My last name is Himura."  
"What about your first?"  
"What makes you think I'll tell you?"  
"Because you are desperately wanting and needing a friend. Besides, you've already told me how many friends you've had, your age, and your last name, which is more than anybody else has gotten out of you. Except for a select few."  
"That's right, and that's the way it'll stay." Kenshin replied, acting, and looking his fourteen years. On the word 'stay' his voice cracked and he fell silent, embarrassed.  
"Well, now everybody in this room knows that you are just now going through puberty." Yamagata grinned good naturedly. Kenshin just glared at him.  
"Well, see you around, Himura." Yamagata said as he walked out the door. Kenshin hurriedly finished his tea and ducked out of the door. A few of the people saw his face was almost as red as his hair.  
'Oh man! That was so embarrassing!' Kenshin thought.  
"So, have you decided to tell me your name yet? If you don't I'll keep pestering you until you do, and I refuse to give up." Yamagata said, popping up out of nowhere.  
As an answer, Kenshin just handed him a note that he had written as he was drinking the remainder of his tea.  
Meet me a quarter-mile into the woods just right of the path. Be there by ten, because I have a job to do right after the meeting.  
Battousai Is what Yamagata read. He looked up, but Himura was gone. At 9:45...  
"Himura-san?" Yamagata called softly.  
  
Me: "Ooh, cliffie. Gotta love 'em or hate 'em. I'm just stopping here 'cause I don't want to have to type more than I have to if nobody's gonna read and review it. You can thank all the books I've been reading lately for my imagination." Voice: "Yeah, really weird imagination." Me: "'Scuse me for a sec." (Takes off in direction of voice) "Once I get my hands on you! Ooooh! Voice: (In distance) "Sorry dragon hitokiri-san!" thump (You see a person lying unconscious on the floor) Me: "I'm back! Okay, now where was I? Oh yeah! Don't forget to review! Bye!" 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Read first chapter, it's there, I promise.  
  
Note: Remember, Kenshin's voice is changing, so put a high note in there while you're reading it, 'kay?  
Oh, and someone pointed out that I should have told you all this in the first chapter, umm, I've posted this story before and took it down.

_Last Chapter:  
Meet me a quarter-mile into the woods just right of the path. Be there by ten, because I have a job to do after the meeting.  
Battousai Is what Yamagata read. He looked up, but Himura was gone. At 9:45...  
"Himura-san?" Yamagata called softly.   
_  
"You are as loud as a bunch of untrained idiots." Came a slightly amused voice behind him.  
Yamagata whirled around and watched as Kenshin dropped silently to the ground.  
"You were right, Yamagata. I do desperately want a friend." Kenshin said.  
"So, what is your real name?"  
Kenshin laughed, but there was no humor in his voice. "Would you like my birth name or the one I went by before 'Battousai'?"  
"Preferably the second one."  
"Kenshin. Himura Kenshin."  
"Well, Kenshin, I hope this is the beginning of a great friendship."  
"So do I. Oh, and Yamagata?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Don't ever call me Kenshin unless we're alone, okay?"  
"Alright."  
"Well, I have to get going. Job tonight, unfortunately."  
"You don't like it?"  
"Who can?" Kenshin answered as he disappeared among the trees.  
Yamagata looked after him with a renewed desire to help him, if only in friendship and not be as close as brothers. 

The Next Morning...  
"Hey Yamagata, where were you last night?" asked one of the soldiers.  
"Yeah, we were going to have you come and help us out with the dice and all." Another put in.  
"I was somewhere thinking." Yamagata replied evasively.  
"He was talking with me." Came a clear voice.  
Everyone turned around even though they knew it could only be one person. They all stared at the young hitokiri whose face was, once again, so red it rivaled his hair.  
"Is there a problem with that?" he asked, the red in his face receding.  
"Sir, if I may ask, what were you two talking about?" asked a soldier.  
When they saw that Kenshin was flustered, they held back smiled. He truly looked only fourteen at the time.  
"He has agreed to try having a friend." Yamagata butted in.  
"Ya-Yamagata!" the boy sputtered.  
"Well, you have."  
"Well yes, but, but...sigh Did you have to say it here of all places?"  
"Yep, sure did."  
"Fine, just don't get too close to me." Kenshin said gruffly.  
"Why not?" asked Yamagata.  
"Everyone I have ever cared about has died. Except my master, that is." Kenshin said, turning to go back upstairs.  
"Hey Himura!"  
"What?"  
"I won't die."  
Kenshin turned to give him a weak smile, then went up the stairs, presumably to his room.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Oh come on people! I told ya to look in the first chapter. It's there, really it is.  
  
Previous chapter:  
"Hey Himura!"  
"What?"  
  
"I won't die."  
Kenshin gave a small smile and went up the stairs.   
  
Suddenly, a great deal of talking started. They were all commenting on the conversation. So nobody noticed when Yamagata went after his new friend.  
"Kenshin?" he said in a low voice.  
The door opened to reveal Kenshin in a different outfit.  
"Where are you going?"  
"To practice. Do you want to come with me?" he asked awkwardly.  
"Sure. I'll go get some lunch to take with us. Be back soon." Yamagata said as he hurried down the stairs.  
'A friend.' Kenshin thought looking after Yamagata. He hurridly buckled his sword to his side and went down to the kitchen where Yamagata was trying to wheedle food out of the innkeeper.  
"Okami-dono, I would have come down myself to get the food, but Yamagata here is especially eager to get going."  
  
"Alright Himura, if it is for what he said and make sure you come back for supper, okay?" Okami, the innkeeper, said.  
"Okay, we'll be back." Kenshin smiled, albeit a very small one.  
As soon as they passed out of hearing range, Yamagata and Kenshin looked at each other and burst out laughing. Well, Yamagata laughed, Kenshin just grinned.  
"So, where are we going?"  
"Follow me."  
They slid through the trees and Kenshin finally stopped. Yamagata looked and gasped, there was a small waterfall and natural hot springs. Then Kenshin started moving again. He passed the springs and moved into a clearing. Yamagata saw deep grooves cut into the ground as well as a whole bunch of trees reduced to timber.  
"Whoah, you did that?"  
  
Kenshin simply nodded and walked to the center of the clearing and motioned for Yamagata to stay where he was. He then went through a series of movements that Yamagata could just barely follow. He then disappeared. Suddenly, a long diagonal slash appeared in the ground and Kenshin re- appeared. This continued for around two to three hours when Kenshin stopped.  
"Why'd you stop?"  
  
"It's lunchtime."  
"..."  
"What? You can't expect me to continue this without any lunch. C'mon, I'm only a teenager!"  
"Okay, I'll set up the lunch."  
"Thanks, I've got to cool down."  
While Yamagata was setting up the lunch, Kenshin went through another series of movements, these less vigorous.  
"It's ready when you are!" called Yamagata.  
"Coming!"  
As they ate their lunch, Yamagata asked Kenshin some questions.  
"So, what is the name you were born with Kenshin?"  
"Shinta. When my shishou found me, he said Shinta was too soft a name for a swordsman, so I've been Kenshin ever since."  
  
"How old were you when your shishou found you?"  
"Just eight years old."  
"Young."  
"Yeah."  
"That's when you started training?"  
"Mmm-hmm." Kenshin mumbled through a mouthful of food.  
"I'll shut up now so you can eat."  
The rest of the meal passed in silence. When he got done, Kenshin pulled out the two towels and tossed one to Yamagata, who was also done. He then turned and went back to the spring. Kenshin got undressed and slid in.  
"You coming?" Kenshin asked, eyes closed.  
"Yeah. Be there in a minute." Yamagata replied with an evil grin. He undressed and went to the edge of the small clearing. He ran and jumped into the spring.  
Kenshin sputtered as he came back up to the surface. There was Yamagata, a big grin on his face. Kenshin sent a big wave his way. When Yamagata came up, the grin had changed. It was now challenging. Thus ensued a long, and large, waterfight.  
  
So, do ya like it? Sorry about the length of time. I won't be here from now until after Christmas break. Bye! 


	4. Chapter 4

Hey everyone! I'm back! My block has been removed. Finally. Kenshin-O.K. Kaoru- Why am I not in this?! Me- Because this is about when Kenshin was only 14. You would have been 4. Kaoru- Oh yeah. Me- --  
  
Disclaimer- Fine, I'll say it again. I DO NOT OWN RUROUNI KENSHIN. 'Kay?  
  
Previous chapter:  
Kenshin sputtered as he came back up to the surface. There was Yamagata, a big grin on his face. Kenshin sent a big wave his way. When Yamagata came up, the grin had changed. It was now challenging. Thus ensued a long, and large, waterfight.   
  
An hour later found Kenshin and Yamagata lying exausted on the bank of the spring.  
"I've never done that!" Kenshin said happily.  
"You've got to be kidding." Yamagata replied, in shock.  
"Nope. When I was a kid, well, younger than now, I was usually working in the field with my family. Then, when they died and all..." Kenshin shrugged helplessly.  
"Yeah. Well Kenshin, buddy, I'm going to teach you to have fun."  
"Thanks."  
"No problem."  
The years passed them by. To all but Yamagata, Kenshin became cold, distant. Then SHE came. Yamagata saw that Kenshin had seemed to finally find peace. When she died, he was the first to hear how it happened. He tried comforting Kenshin, but it was all to no avail. After the last battle was won, Yamagata saw Kenshin walk off, away from the battlefield, away from his sword, and away from his life as Hitokiri Battousai.  
  
Eleven years later...  
  
A flash of red hair. Could it be? Was it really him? Yamagata strained to see. Yes, there he was. He seemed happy. There were many people surrounding him. A tall young man, a young boy, and two young women, one of them just visibly pregnant. (Guess who) Just then, laughter broke out and Yamagata saw him turn. He then saw the sword at Kenshin's waist.  
"Kenshin?" Yamagata asked.  
"Yamagata! Come over here! I want to introduce you to... my family."  
Yamagata smiled. Kenshin, it seemed, had finally found happiness. He walked over, and Kenshin clasped his hand.  
He gestured to the pregnant woman, the young man, the young boy and then the other woman.  
"This is my wife, Kouru, my friends Sano, Yahiko, and Megumi. And this is Yamagata, everyone."  
They all said hello, and started walking around. Kenshin and Yamagata were talking of their lives after they had parted.  
"Kenshin?"  
"Yes, Yamagata?"  
"Where do you live now?"  
"The Kamiya Dojo in Tokyo."  
"Oh. I have to get back to my place soon."  
"See you around."  
"Yeah. And Kenshin?"  
"Hmm?"  
"Remember that waterfight?"  
"Yeah."  
"I still say I won." And with that, he walked away.  
After that, Yamagata was a frequent visitor at the dojo. He got to know the true Kenshin even better than before. And that, my friends, is a story for another day.  
  
So, what do you think? And yes, that is the end. If you want a sequel, I'll need some ideas. Please? 


End file.
